Don't be like Lance: Doping not worth the risk

Since Lance Armstrong has put himself back in the media limelight by agreeing to sit down with Oprah Winfrey for an interview about his involvement in doping for years, I thought I would take this opportunity to once again endorse "No to drugs!" I am not going to watch the show.

Armstrong cheated, lied, bullied, manipulated, deceived, knowingly took performance-enhancing drugs for years and even took millions of dollars from companies in endorsements and winnings under false pretense. Armstrong is not one of the greatest sports legends of all time. He is the greatest sports cheats of all time. So why would I want to waste my time listening to his explanations for all his wrongdoings? There isn't anything Armstrong can say that will turn his many wrongs into even one right.

Armstrong loves the attention of the media, and I believe one reason he is doing this interview is to get back front and center of the media. Well, he's not getting my attention or time. Even giving him a few paragraphs in this column is a bit painful for me to do.

But, I'm hoping this column will serve as a lesson to kids, athletes and people in general that taking performance-enhancing drugs is not worth the risk. And I hope it will encourage people to work hard to develop their own identity and talents and not necessarily try to emulate their hero, unless they know beyond a shadow of doubt that their hero is honest and deserving.

Since I have been involved in sports for close to 30 years, including being a member of the Inaugural Women's Tour de France Championship Team in 1984, people often ask me for my opinion about performance-enhancing drugs in sports. My firm stand on this topic is that I am against all drugs or procedures for the sole purpose of an athlete trying to obtain an unfair advantage. Cheating is cheating and should not be tolerated, condoned or ignored.

I know plenty of athletes who have won national, world and Olympic titles without the use of drugs. It can be done, so don't think you need an illegal boost to win.

True (clean) winners and champions "eat, drink, think and believe" they can be champions way before they actually raise their arms in victory. It starts and ends with the athletes' minds and their belief in themselves and their journey toward their end goals.

The final ingredient is working hard to achieve their goals. In a nutshell, I coined this as the "See it/Believe it/Achieve it" philosophy. It has worked for me for more than 30 years and more than 125 career victories, including being crowned the 2012 USAT Female Overall Sprint Duathlon National Champion at the age of 56, and it can work for you.

To help our athletes of today, we need to address the topic of performance-enhancing drugs throughout every stage in an athlete's involvement in sports through education. Education is vital in the prevention of drug use in athletics - not only education for the athletes, but also for the coaches, administrators, trainers and parents.

Every drug, even those prescribed for legitimate reasons, carries the possibility of side effects. For example, some side effects of steroids are damage to the heart and liver, and long-term use has been linked to testicular cancer (Armstrong's cancer) and prostate cancer. Steroid users are also at increased risk for stroke, heart attack and sudden death. It's these side effects that need to be highlighted and not the performance-enhancing capability.

Taking the shortcut of drugs in an attempt to win at sports is like playing Russian roulette.

How many of you would play that game?

The true spirit of sport needs to be restored - hard work, proper training and coaching, learning good sportsmanship and even having fun. Don't get me wrong - I like competition and winning, but not winning at all costs.

Just say no to drugs, believe in yourself, work hard toward achieving your goals and increase your chances of living a longer, healthier and happier life. "See it/Believe it/Achieve it!"

Patty Peoples is a fitness educator at Chaffey College, the reigning USAT Sprint Duathlon National Champion and USAT Athlete of the Year. She is also an ISSA-certified fitness nutrition specialist and trainer. Peoples welcomes questions and comments at p2peakperformance@hotmail.com.